Two Of Hearts
by kay-pwns
Summary: Sent undercover to investigate a possible mole at NCIS, Gibbs finds himself in quite the predicament. AU
1. Chapter 1

Gibbs knocked firmly on the Director's door before opening and stepping inside, stopping a mere three steps into the room as the heavy metal thing clicked shut behind him. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Tom Morrow smiled fractionally and gestured to the chairs before his old wooden desk, and Gibbs took a seat obediently. "We may have a mole, Jethro," the older man stated bluntly, closing the files he had been reading and placing them in a drawer. Obviously it was classified material.

"Still doesn't explain why I'm here."

Morrow chuckled patiently, "No, you're right, it doesn't." He pulled out one of his many files from his briefcase, opened it, and slid it across the table to him. Gibbs pulled out his glasses from inside his jacket pocket and put them on, taking the file into his lap and scanning it, eyebrows furrowed. Since when did the Director call him up to help with a _mole _case? "A long-running investigation has been jeopardized in the past few months. I've had Agent McGee look through the.."

"Is that why I was down an agent a couple days ago?"

This time Gibbs received a warning glare. _"...computer _security systems involved to identify any possible breaches. He found no suggestions that any outside forces have hacked in."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at him, still not understanding why he was up here. Why couldn't Morrow just hand him an assignment and tell him to read the damn file? Or better yet, get DiNozzo to do it. "With all do respect, sir, I still don't know how I fit into all this."

"You see, Jethro, we believe this to be an inside problem, that one of our own is selling information on the side. Perhaps you've seen her around – Jennifer Shepard, she works in the counterintelligence department."

Oh Gibbs had seen her alright. He recalled his first encounter easily, months ago, while he had been on his way to the vending machines. Most people were smart enough to avoid him, to stay away from the eye of the storm, but Shepard hadn't, which impressed him if he was honest with himself. She'd been reading something – what, he couldn't say, because she'd hidden it from view almost immediately – and he'd run smack into her, crushing her coffee cup between them and spilling the liquid over both their shirts. Their reactions had been similar: look down at the stain, pull the fabric away from torso, glance back up at the other with a raised eyebrow. He remembered how beautiful she was (it was something nearly impossible to ignore) but what he remembered most was her laugh. Truthfully, Gibbs had expected an absolute fall-out, but maybe it was because Diane had made him paranoid. But Shepard had _laughed, _picked up the coffee cup, and apologized without stuttering even once. Within five minutes they were back to their normal lives, and the next day he'd left a new cup of coffee on what he found out was her desk with a note that stated quite simply, _Replacement. _

Though he'd passed her several times since, neither of them had given anything more than a small smile and polite nod, perhaps a hello if they were feeling generous. She never crossed his mind until he saw her, and as soon as she was out of sight, he didn't think of her again. Huh, perhaps he _did _have some self-control after all.

"Gibbs?"

He immediately snapped out of his thoughts, "Yes sir?" God he hated that man's knowing smile.

"I want you on a.. semi-undercover operation. You continue to lead your team, but you get the information I ask for on the side as well. Do you understand?" he clarified, raising an eyebrow. Gibbs began scanning over the long-forgotten file in his lap once again, eyes narrowing slightly. To do this, he was going to have to get close to her, get her to trust him so she would talk. His lips twitched minutely as he closed it and took his glasses off, looking back up to Morrow.

He cleared his throat, "Under what restrictions am I supposed to get this info?"

"I won't be asking you how you _obtain it, _Jethro, I just want to know if she is or is not a traitor."

Gibbs stood up and nodded, shaking his Director's hand and then walking out the door without a word. As he passed Jennifer at the bottom of the stairs, took in her smile and then turned to watch her walk right on without a glance back in his direction, he knew he was up a creek without a paddle.


	2. Chapter 2

Typical cases like the one he'd just finished with bored the hell out of him.

It wasn't really that he wanted people to be more interesting when they decided to murder someone.. okay, yeah he did. Gibbs was sick and tired of dealing with frame-up cases, homicides staged to appear suicide, and muggings that he began to think that a serial killer would be a _nice _change, seeing how the other three were practically the only thing he'd been assigned to in the past six months. So maybe wanting a serial killer case was a bit much, but he was _bored._ Maybe it was time to slip on down to Mexico and visit Mike again.

Oh, but he couldn't do that either. He had a mission that he was sent out to do, and he'd go to hell before he gave Morrow _another_ reason to fire his ass. Besides, if he thought about it, the repetitively-styled cases were in the Director's plans, to give him time to work on.. well, work on Jennifer Shepard, to put it bluntly. His team could handle the investigations, and he could go flirt with a pretty redhead and get _paid. _It should be easy for him to carry out – after all, it _was _he that said sex was just a viable interrogation technique – but something inside didn't want to do it, play her. It didn't seem like she really deserved that.

Of course, Jennifer could damn well be a traitor. He just _thought_ that she wasn't, and his gut wasn't a good enough reason not to go forward with the mission.

Gibbs sighed as he took his coffee from the teen behind the counter and turned around, quickly surveying the crowd. Basically it was the same people from yesterday and the day before that, creatures of habit like himself. He raised the cup to his lips and was about to take a sip when his eyes fell on someone that _wasn't _normally there, someone he had begun to hope wouldn't cross his path. His jaw clenched involuntarily as he looked at her; taking in her pale skin, contrasting sharply with her fiery red hair. He couldn't see her eyes from so far away, but he knew what color they were – green. A bright green that sparkled when she smiled and laughed, like the emerald gemstone in Kelly's bracelet that his father had given to her. Gibbs swallowed hard and forced the thoughts back; as far into the recesses of his mind as he could muster before he walked over to the little two-person table in the corner she was sitting at. She jumped as he sat down, and he had to hold back the laughter that threatened to escape. Something told him that embarrassment would only make her defensive, and _defensive _was the last thing he needed to accomplish this.. _mission. _He was beginning to feel like a sex offender because the object of his game was to get in her bed. Plain and simple. He gave a weary smile and she smiled back, blushing only slightly on her nose. It was cute.

"Do you always sneak up on people?"

"I don't sneak. You would've seen me coming if you weren't day-dreaming out the window."

She made a face at him, "I like the snow. I've got front-row seats without freezing to death."

Now that she brought up the weather outside, he had to admit that she looked a little chilled. He made to get up and give her his jacket but she held up her hands. "Keep it, I'll be fine," she said.

"Never take anything from a stranger, huh?" he teased lightly, causing her to smile.

"You're not a stranger, but I don't know your name. I'm assuming you know mine if you've been to my desk."

"Gibbs."

She blinked. "Gibbs? Just _'Gibbs'? _You poor, poor man."

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs," he sighed, taking a sip of his coffee. He knew she was going to laugh before it happened.

"I see why you go by _Gibbs _then," she said between giggles. He gave her a good glare and that shut her up, but perhaps at the cost of scaring her mildly. He didn't _want _to scare her.

"Har har, you're funny, _Jennifer." _He grumbled, but jumped when the toe of her heel came in contact with his shin, "Hey!"

"Don't call me that. It's Jenny."

"I like Jen better." He laughed at her attempt at a glare, "Not that scary with cappuccino foam on your nose, ya know."

She grabbed the napkin he was offering and wiped it off hurriedly, blushing slightly again. He decided then that she was adorable, even when that was apparently one of the last things she wanted to be. Gibbs tried to picture her doing something wrong, scandalous, but couldn't. Jen seemed like the stereotypical 'goody-two-shoes' kind of girl, the one who'd never do anything to displease her parents and yet teased the hell out of men around her, without even meaning to.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it and sighed as her phone went off, undoubtedly calling her back to work, judging by the expression on her face upon fishing it out of her purse. She spoke quickly in hushed tones (though he was betting that was something her occupation had forced her into the habit of doing) and when the call ended she got up, shrugging on an expensive, heavy coat that she must have been sitting on. She smiled and pulled her hair out of the collar, the knowing look on her face making him think twice about her innocence in things _other _than being a criminal. It took a fair amount of self control to stop himself from looking down at her legs, covered by either leggings or tights, he couldn't decide. Perhaps stockings. Women had way too many names for those things anyway.

"See you tomorrow maybe? Same time, same table?"

He grinned to himself, "See ya, Jen."


	3. Chapter 3

_He planted his hands on either side of her on the counter, invading her personal space. Her breathing hitched as his lips touched the skin on the back of her neck, his body pressing her forward slightly, impatience coursing through him. Her fingertips brushed his neck, pulling his face to hers, her breath touching his hesitantly, uncertain._

"_Gibbs.."_

_He interrupted her. "Do you scream?"_

_Somehow, that highly inappropriate question eased the tension he felt in her. She smiled and kissed him slowly, turning in his arms, pulling him impossibly closer to her by his shirt. He lifted her up effortlessly onto the hard surface and pushed her skirt up, running his hands along her thighs reverently. Her eyes fluttered and he pulled back, studying her, his darkened eyes demanding an answer. She looked over him and pouted, wrinkling her nose at his insistence. _

"_You'll just have to find out, won't you?" she asked, her tone unbearably sultry. _

_Gibbs groaned and rolled his eyes, unbuttoning her blouse and pushing it off her shoulders easily. She moaned softly as he trailed kisses along her shoulder and collarbone, nipping occasionally, purposefully teasing. He relocated, licking the valley between her breasts as he unclasped her bra. Her noises were getting increasingly louder._

"_Boss.."_

_His eyebrows furrowed and he paused. Why would Jenny be calling him _Boss?

"_Boss..? Boss!"_

His head snapped up and he blinked repeatedly, clearing his throat. Gibbs found himself looking directly into the mischievous eyes of Anthony DiNozzo, who was smirking. God, he hoped he hadn't been talking in his sleep..

"Who're you making scream, Boss?" the younger man grinned, bouncing suspiciously out of arms-reach. _Dammit, _he thought. He shot daggers at Tony until his smirk faded and he looked like a kicked dog, his posture slouching as he moved back over to his desk. Gibbs grunted in highly suppressed triumph and rubbed his face, glancing down at his watch. _7:20. _He was due at Jen's in just over a half hour, and he still needed to go home and change. Maybe he should get her flowers, too..

Jesus _Christ, _what was this woman doing to him?

He stood irritably and slammed his chair under his desk, grabbing his badge and gun and heading for the elevators. As he passed Tony and Ziva's desks, he muttered, "Go home." Somehow he still managed to keep the storm in his step, even in his current _condition. _He just wanted to shake Jenny for invading his dreams like that. Okay, he wanted to do more than just shake her, but shaking was a start.

Gibbs drove home quickly, the speed of the car easing his thoughts just a little and effectively calming him. He made record time in showering and changing into just jeans and a button-down shirt, keeping a casual appearance and yet concealing his weapon all at the same time. On the way there, he picked up a single orange, thornless rose, and prayed that she had no idea what the color meant.

At _7:58 _he was on her doorstep, the flower tucked behind his back and a smirk set firmly on his face as he knocked on the heavy wooden door. Gibbs pursed his lips when he heard no movement, and knocked again. He knew damn well she was home because there were lights on _and _her car was parked in the driveway. Suddenly he heard a squeal and he reached for his gun, only to have the door swing open and almost get knocked over by a red blur. He _oofed _quietly, steadying himself by using the doorframe, and looked down at his legs, thoroughly confused.

A little girl. A little, redheaded girl.

He looked back up with furrowed eyebrows to an obviously irritated Jenny. "Leena Isabelle Shepard," she hissed, and the child must have recognized the _'no-bullshit'_ tone in her voice, because she slowly disentangled herself from his legs and sulked back over her. Jen picked her up and rested her easily on her hip, blew her hair our of her eyes, and then looked back to Gibbs. She blushed and bit her lower lip hesitantly.

"Sorry, Gibbs.. she didn't want me to brush her hair." He smiled easily at her and then tilted his head at the little girl. Jenny looked to her and nuzzled her head up, becoming exponentially sweeter than she'd been just moments before.

"Say hi to Gibbs, Leena," she tried, and the child cut her eyes at him and shook her head, burrowing her face into Jen's neck. She sighed and used her free hand to tug on his bicep, drawing him into the house and closing the door behind him with her foot. She put Leena down and patted her bottom lightly, pointing towards what he assumed was the living room. She grinned at Jenny and ran off into the suggested room.

Gibbs stood still, curious, cautious. Surely Morrow would have told him if..

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," she apologized quietly, looking as if she expected him to yell or something. What she'd said just gave him his answer; Jennifer Shepard had a daughter.

Instead of saying anything else, he put the rose in his teeth and grinned at her, making her laugh as she took it from him. She held it to her chest and half-smiled, tilting her head to the side and giving him a look that went straight to his groin.

"I'll just put this in some water before we eat."

Gibbs thought _he _needed to be put in a cold shower as he followed her into the kitchen. He could hear cartoons in the background, and he smiled wider, knowing the whole time that Jenny was confused as hell as to why he hadn't turned and run when he'd found out about her daughter. He liked Jenny, and he liked kids. There was no doubt in his mind that he'd like _Jenny's kid, _even if it did present complications to his little world.


	4. Chapter 4

She absentmindedly brushed her fingertips over her lips as Gibbs played with Leena, smiling just slightly at the scene before her. There hadn't been any men in her daughter's life besides her uncle, really – and Jen had been content with that. The opposite sex tended to distract her from her surroundings, if the burnt cake in the oven was any indication; so she typically avoided them all together. Jen dropped her hand back to her lap and clasped it with the other, biting her lip just slightly. Inwardly, she wondered how Gibbs was so natural, so _versed _in occupying a child; though she thought better of asking. She seemed to sense that there was a part of him shielded from everyone, including herself, and she didn't want to ruin whatever sort of relationship they were playing at by prodding him.

Jenny slipped to the floor and crawled as a tigress towards Leena, a sly smirk splayed across her face. When Gibbs' gaze shifted to her, his eyebrow lifted, she paused and placed a finger to her lips. Leena, however, followed her new-found-friend's eyes and squealed at her mother, scrambling backwards, hissing. Jenny laughed softly and continued to advance on the child until Leena pounced on her, knocking her back, biting at her shoulder and hands. Jenny yelped and then scowled, flipping them over effortlessly and pinning Leena down with a harmless amount of force.

But of _course _the child would be a drama queen about it.

"Mommy, stoppit! You're hurtin' me! I'm gonna.. gonna get Gibbs to bite you!" she squealed, looking pleadingly at the man in question. Jen looked back at him with a curious expression.

"You're gonna get Gibbs to bite me, eh?"

He crawled over to them and knelt behind Jen, snapping his teeth close to her ear, smirking. "I'd listen to the girl, Jen," he whispered conspiratorially. She rolled her eyes and let Leena up, oofing softly when she pushed her back, leaving her sprawled out over an unexpected Gibbs. The little girl grinned and then crawled on top of her mother, bouncing.

She heard Gibbs groan, and she inwardly prayed that he was in pain.

"Leena.. Lee.. _Leena! _You're killing me, kid," she choked, gripping her sides gingerly and lifting her off her stomach. She attempted to roll off Gibbs but he growled and held her firmly in place, tense.

_Apparently, _that _hadn't _been a groan of pain.

Oh she wanted to laugh so badly.

"Sit up with me," she murmured and did just so, attempting to keep pressure off his groin. She _did _laugh when he dropped his head to her shoulder and grumbled murderously. His head snapped up and he glared at her fiercely, but she could hardly take him seriously. Jen giggled again and patted his cheek patronizingly. "It's okay to be frustrated Gibbs."

He snorted at her but didn't move, instead taking a keen interest in her necklace. She stiffened minutely and pushed his hand away, standing abruptly.

Maybe Jennifer Shepard _did _have things to hide.

Once Jenny was out of the room, Leena wandered over to him and patted the top of his head sympathetically. She picked up his hand and kissed the top of it gingerly, just as Jenny would've done for her if she had an owie. "I sorry, Gibbs. Mommy no like it when peoples touch her necklace."

Gibbs tilted his head curiously, eyebrows mildly furrowed. He paid no attention to the fact that the little girl had taken his bracelet off and was now passing it between her palms, easily distracted. Perhaps he could get an answer from her..

"Why not, Leena?"

She didn't look up at him. "'Cuz Daddy give it to her. That what she told me, anyways. I no know my Daddy," She shrugged and put his bracelet back on deftly, kissing his forehead and then putting her finger to her lips. "No tell Mommy, Gibbs."

He nodded and put his finger to his lips as well, watching after her thoughtfully as she ran off after her mother. Okay, so the baby-daddy was a touchy subject – he'd file that away for future reference. He listened to the playful banter coming from the foyer and stood up, wincing as his knees protested, and leaned against the door frame to watch the struggle to get a stubborn four year old to bed. It brought him back to times when Kelly had been younger, to Shannon, and with those thoughts came silent sadness. He caught Jenny's eye once and she paused, scanning him.

It felt like she saw right through him.

When she had successfully put Leena to bed, she wearily stumbled down the stairs, smiling just a little at him. He couldn't help but wonder where the pissed-off Jen from half an hour before had gone off to. She stopped in front of him and he let his eyes travel over her appreciatively, raising an eyebrow at her blush. He brushed a kiss to her forehead.

"No nightcap?" she murmured, following him to the door. He opened it and stepped out, turning back to her on the porch, shaking his head with a shrug.

"You're not ready for that."

"Such a gentleman," she teased, smiling minutely. He could see that it didn't quite reach her eyes this time. She paused and pulled him closer to her by the shirt, standing on her tip-toes to kiss him lightly on the lips. She pulled away only a fraction of an inch before she hesitated and looked into his eyes, pressing her lips to his a little harder this time.

Gibbs hadn't expected their first _real _kiss to leave him breathless.

She pulled back again and bit her lip, smiling shyly. "Sorry; got carried away."

He shook his head and caressed her face gently, thrilled to see that she was leaning into him now. Like she was more at ease with the kiss out of the way.

"Goodnight, Gibbs," she said softly when he pulled away, clearly battling something inwardly.

"It's Jethro," he corrected, and she smiled, leaning against the door frame far too provocatively for her own good.

The sad thing was, he didn't even think she _meant _to look sexy.

"Goodnight, _Jethro. _Call me tomorrow around noon. I have to go shopping and then take Leena to her friend's birthday party. If you want to come get me, I'm free all day after that."

"We're getting good at this whole _date _thing," he teased lightly, smiling.

She rolled here eyes at him. "We are. So you better get some sleep, it's after eleven."

"Motherly instincts kicking in?"

"Stop stalling, Jethro. _Goodnight."_

He kissed her cheek lightly, sweetly. "Night, Jenny." He turned and walked to his car, his expression the absolute definition of pleased.

Tomorrow at noon, he'd have to get her to talk to him. He needed answers before he got more emotionally involved than he already was.


	5. Chapter 5

He had long forgotten the reason he was interested in Jenny Shepard in the first place. It was easy enough to lose one's self in those pretty green eyes, to become mesmerized by the fire-like quality of her hair, and Gibbs had done just so. He was allowing the woman to wrap him around her elegant finger and manipulate him in any way she so chose.

Until last night, that was. Because last night secrets had been brought forward and others approached but avoided still. The phone call from Morrow this morning had also set him back on track. He had a _job _to do, as he'd been reminded numerous times. This was not a pleasure-seeking deal.

He still sought the pleasure, however. Both Jenny's and his own. It was not something he could brush off, because as the kiss from last night had proven, they had chemistry. And _she _had passion; passion that could make him weak in the knees if he allowed.

Gibbs was beginning to understand that he was treading on thin ice. One false step and he would fall into the icy water, perhaps never to resurface. Jenny could provide a family for him, a new start after all the years alone. She could also provide enough heartbreak for two lifetimes. _He _could take a little girl's mother away from her. The only thing he could do was pray that things didn't come to that. Leena Isabelle Shepard didn't deserve to be thrown into a life of foster homes when she seemed so settled and comfortable with her life at the present moment. She was a four year old, surprisingly intelligent and empathetic from what he'd seen, but also just as naïve as every other child her age; and her mother obviously loved her very much.

He was trying not to see the two girls as Shannon and Kelly, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Gibbs knew that his family would forever be part of him, didn't want to pretend they'd never existed, but comparing them to Jenny and Leena was dangerous. It attached him even further emotionally, and he was trying to avoid that. Just in case Jenny was what Morrow suspected..

Letting his thoughts wander to that scenario was also a bad idea, he found. Who was he kidding though; this whole _mission _was fucked up.

Jenny's front door was unlocked, so he'd gone right in. The foreign car in the driveway was causing his gut to act up on him, considering that it was after noon, and she said she'd be free. Closing the door quietly, he looked to the study, hand going to his SIG when he heard shouting. Moving closer to better hear what was going on, he understood that Jenny and her _friend _were speaking French.

The one language he had trouble with.

"No! That was not a _condition _that was _expressed.."_

"Surely you've done it before, _Jenny.."_

"Go to hell!"

There was more to the conversation, but that was all he could translate. It made him even more uneasy, caused him to tighten his grip on the handle of his gun. His lips twitched and he slunk back into the better shaded regions of the house as Jenny very _sweetly _told him where the front door was located. When he heard the car drive off, he slowly made his way to the study again, pausing when he saw her throw back a shot of what he guessed was tequila. Gibbs came up behind her and rested his hand on her hip, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She sucked in a breath and turned quickly, eyes wide, and then relaxed slowly when she saw it was him. He pressed his lips to her forehead, effectively calming her and giving her enough reason to put the bottle of alcohol down. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, silent for a while.

"Do you speak French?" Obviously she had digressed that he'd been in the house for a while.

Gibbs ran his fingers through her hair, processing both Jenny and the previous situation. "Some," he admitted. "Who was he, Jenny? What did he do?"

She tensed again, but he held her to him when she started to pull away. If she was already wound up, he might as well go ahead and get the questions he _could _ask out of the way now.

"He's just an asshole; someone I'd rather not deal with. He thinks I owe him something," she mumbled. Somehow he was certain she'd tell him nothing more about the stranger. It was something they shared, the tendency to keep to oneself. She lifted her head and looked up at him through her enticingly long eyelashes, unconsciously exposing her necklace to him again. He ran his fingertip over the delicate chain lightly, feeling her grow stiff just as she had the night before.

Gibbs wanted to know what skeletons she hoarded in her closet, to understand why she could close off from him instantaneously. Perhaps it wasn't fair that he doubted his ability to open up to her in the same way.

"Leena's father gave that to you," he stated simply. Jenny said nothing aloud, but he could see the muscles in her jaw tightening significantly. He bent his head and ran his lips along it, hoping to relax her just a little. Her small hand snaked up his chest and curled around the back of his neck, holding him to her. He smiled just slightly and planted feather-light kisses down her neck until he felt her shiver, and there he paused. "Tell me about him, Jen."

She let out a shaky breath. "You're an evil bastard, you know," she whispered, tilting her head to the side to give him better access to her skin. "You know I want you and you're using that against me."

He grinned impishly and stilled again. She groaned and closed her eyes, slumping against him. He touched her when she talked, and only then. "He was my best friend from freshman year of high school on. I offered him the only kind of comfort I could give when his fiancée broke off the engagement, and he accepted," she said softly, pausing. "It was an easy transition from friends to lovers.. and he was.. _thrilled _when I told him I was pregnant." Gibbs was silent, stroking her sides gently, waiting for her to continue.

She didn't, and he wondered why he'd expected her to. Jenny had obviously cared for that man deeply, and he doubted that she thought that much of _him _so soon. He kissed her throat again, feeling her pulse beneath his lips, and then moved away from her. She had a saddened look in her eyes now, faraway.

This was where the woman would fall sobbing into the man's arms in those chick flicks. However, Jenny wasn't that kind of girl. She was more prideful than that.

Gibbs watched with avid interest as she pulled the pendant of the necklace from her shirt. It looked like a tiny vial from where he stood, and as he drew closer, he found that that was indeed what it was. A minute amount of gold dust rested at the bottom.

Jenny looked up at him, tucking her hair behind her ears, smiling just slightly. She framed his face and pulled him down to her, kissing him slowly, clouding his senses with the force behind it. He walked forward until her back hit the window, causing her to break the kiss. She bit her lip and looked him square in the eyes, holding him in place. "Do you believe in angels, Jethro?" she breathed softly.

"No," he whispered honestly.

She smiled, removing her hands from his face and sliding them down his chest lightly, never breaking eye-contact. "I didn't either," she whispered back, moving one hand to the necklace again. She held it up where he could see clearly. "Angel dust."

"You're insane," he said, rolling his eyes at her. She smiled again and kissed him briefly, slipping under his arm and moving out of the study. Eyebrows furrowed, he followed her, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.

Her smile was heartbreaking. Her kiss, _intoxicating. _Gibbs was beginning to believe _she _was an angel. Of course, that was a rash decision made with parts of his anatomy other than his brain.

He climbed the stairs obediently when she crooked her pretty little finger at him, entranced, in a way. Her back hit the frame of her bedroom door when he reached her, drawing out a whimper muffled by his lips. She pushed both his jackets off his shoulders and onto the floor, becoming just slightly desperate for skin-to-skin contact. Gibbs stilled her hands at the waistline of his pants, breaking the kiss and studying her warily.

"You're not ready for this," he growled, reiterating what he'd said last night.

"I don't need to be told what I am and am not ready for, Jethro," she insisted, pushing his hands away and unbuckling his belt pointedly. "I'm not a little girl anymore. I can think for myself."

She divested him of his clothes down to his boxers, then spun him around and backed him towards her bed. He fell back with a grunt as the back of his knees came in contact with the mattress, and she crawled over him, settling herself on his stomach. Gibbs' hands went to her waist.

"I thought we were going on a date," he whispered as she kissed down his chest, pausing to lick his nipple on the way down. The throaty sound of her laugh made him shiver.

She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the side carelessly, unbuttoning her jeans before kissing him again. "Haven't we been on enough dates to skip straight to the good part for once? Because if you don't agree, I could always put my clothes back on.."

He growled and tightened his grip on her, sitting up to kiss _her _this time. She rolled her hips against his and moaned softly, tightening her grip on the back of his neck. Gibbs pushed her roughly onto her back and stood up, pulling her jeans down her legs and running his hands along the insides of her thighs before kneeling over her again. His eyes flickered over her, still questioning, until she hissed at him and pulled his head down to hers again. Her pulse quickened considerably when he pressed against her, a blush rising up from her chest. He wormed a hand behind her to unclasp her bra and threw it to the side, kissing the path of her flushed skin. Gibbs felt her swallow against his lips and he nipped lightly, determined to find that spot that drove her crazy again.

When he did, she began to plead in a hoarse whisper.

Jenny couldn't recall when they'd lost the rest of their clothes, but she knew they were gone when he thrust into her. She yelped and dug her nails into his back, arching up off the bed slightly. She pulled him into a bruising kiss, wrapping a leg around his waist and digging her heel into his lower back, encouraging him. He pushed her harder and faster than she'd expected from him.

She wasn't ready to admit that she'd underestimated what he could do to her.

She pulled him with her as she came, reducing him to a groan and labored breathing in the silence of her bedroom. Gibbs was pleased to find out that she did in fact scream.

Gibbs rolled onto his back, blinking up at the ceiling. He felt a dip in the mattress, indicating that she'd gotten up. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, cursing himself inwardly. Too fast. He'd let her move too fast, and now she might hate _him _for it.

He was about to get up when she settled back into him, running her hand up and down his chest lightly, head on his shoulder. He blinked again and furrowed his eyebrows, threading his fingers into her soft hair repeatedly. Somehow, the touches seemed to ease the awkwardness the silence might have brought.

"It would be easy for me to fall for you, Jethro," she whispered, closing her pretty eyes. He kissed the top of her head and kept silent, unsure of what he should say to her. If she thought it would be easy for _her, _it would be even easier for him. She shifted and looked at him, searching his eyes for a minute. He absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't play games with me. I can't bring you into my life anymore than I already have if that's all this is to you. It's not fair to me, but it's more unfair to Leena."

Gibbs leaned up and kissed her, stroking the back of his hand down her arm soothingly. He pulled away minutely and smiled, resting his forehead against hers. She pulled the blanket from the bottom of the bed to her and settled on top of him, covering them both with it and resting her chin on her folded arms. He brushed his thumb over her bruised lower lip.

"Tell me about the angels, Jenny."


	6. Chapter 6

A set of small, brown eyes peered around the corner of the stranger's desk, watching him briefly, calculating the danger he may or may not present. Though her mother had explained quite clearly that she was to sit at her desk, she had also told her once to always be careful, and the fact that she had done just that could save her from the wrath. Besides, she was just going to see Agent Gibbs, and he would keep her safe; she felt that around him. Leena liked him very much, and since she had caught her mother stealing kisses, she assumed it was okay to like him. She looked to the man to her right, to the woman across from him, and then bolted over to Gibbs' desk, clamoring dramatically into his lap. She hid her small face in his neck and twisted his polo into tiny hands.

Gibbs choked audibly, his breath knocked out of him, staring at the child in his lap in mild surprise. He sighed as he recognized her and rested his hands on her back, rubbing soothingly. He nosed her head up, searching her face for any sign of pain or discomfort, though he found none. He glanced up and checked for Jenny, waiting, assuming that the munchkin was running from her mother. But she didn't appear.

He wanted to laugh, in all seriousness. _God, _he loved children; especially clever ones such as Leena.

"Whatcha doin', runt?"

Ignoring his dig, the little girl put a finger to her lips and looked at him quite seriously. "Shh, Gibbs, I'm undercovers," she whispered. He chuckled softly, partly because of the irony, then mimicked her, nodding in agreement.

"So, uh, Little Red.." he said, glancing around in mock suspicion. "What's your mission?"

Leena beamed, glad that he was willing to play along. She wrapped her small arms around his neck and gave him a pitiful look, "Candy bar."

"Ah, I see," he said, nodding again. Gibbs pulled out his wallet and retrieved a dollar, snapping it and raising and eyebrow. Leena reached for it hesitantly, biting her lower lip, and he let her have it. Again, she beamed, and he realized that he loved to see her smile just as he loved Jen's. Of course it was easier to please the four year old than it was her mother. By now, Tony, Ziva and McGee were confused as hell, but he didn't bother to explain. Now was not the time.

Leena slid off of his lap and tugged on his hand, giving him another impressive set of puppy-dog eyes to gain his cooperation. He sighed dramatically but took her hand in his, allowing her to lead him to the vending machines. Obviously she'd been to HQ before, because she navigated the sometimes confusing establishment effortlessly.

"Alright, so whatcha want, Little Red?" he asked, picking her up so she could debate her choices. She pursed her lips in a way that reminded him of Jenny, then pointed to a bag of Reese's Pieces. He smiled and set her down, "Good choice."

Gibbs knelt down and handed the bag over after opening it for her, watching thoughtfully as she grinned and scrambled over to one of the empty tables. He thought of Kelly as he poured himself a cup of coffee, smiling a little at a similar memory. Lately he was beginning to feel guilty, feeling like he was trying to morph little Leena into his late daughter. It felt like betrayal to Kelly and it definitely wasn't fair to a child that was in no way his. He sat across from her, the disgusting excuse for coffee off to the side, aware that Jenny's perfume had now entered the room.

"I see you're aiding and abetting a runaway, Jethro," she teased softly, resting her hands on his shoulders easily. She began to massage his muscles automatically, smiling slightly as he looked up at her. Her expression faded as she caught Leena's eye, and noticed her wheezing. She moved away from him immediately, having noticed the candy package, and crouched at her daughter's side. Jen clenched her jaw tight against the panic that threatened to ensue, dumping nearly all the contents of her purse onto the floor until she found the Epi-Pen.

He hadn't even been aware that he'd moved, but he found himself on the floor with Leena in his lap, rocking her soothingly, because he didn't know what else to do. Gibbs kissed the top of her head, trying to calm her, because panic would only tax her breath further.

"I'm sorry, Little Red. Shh, sweetheart, it's okay. You're okay." He soothed, swallowing as he looked to Jenny uncertainly. He kept Leena's attention on him as Jen moved closed, pushing her daughter's dress up and pulling the tights down slightly, sticking her with the Epi-Pen quickly. She shushed her gently and hid the needle from sight, sliding next to Gibbs and pressing a kiss to the side of her head. She straightened Leena's clothes and looked at her, listened to her breathing slowly return to normal.

Jenny exhaled in relief, watching as Leena crawled out of Gibbs' lap and into hers, snuggling up to her. She rested her chin on her daughter's head and closed her eyes, feeling her heartbeat slow. Gibbs looked at her still, seeking retribution, but found none. Instead, her hand reached for his and pulled him closer.

"Anaphylaxis," Jen murmured, the hand not gripping his running over Leena's back. "She can't have peanuts." She opened her eyes, glancing at him. She sighed at the guilt-stricken expression she found and squeezed his hand slightly. _"Jethro. _You didn't _know; _it's not your fault."

"Yeah, and if you hadn't been able to fix it? Do you think _'you didn't know' _would help anything?"

She swallowed and withdrew her hand, easing Leena off her so she could stand. Jen gathered up the things from her purse and rested in over her arm before picking Leena up and resting her on her hip. The little girl nestled into her mother, and though she was small for her age, Jenny understood that she wouldn't be able to do this for very much longer. Gibbs wasn't looking at either of them, rather out the window, still sitting on the floor. She suspected that if he looked at her again, she'd find that far-away look he got when he was around Leena. It made her curious, but wary at the same time.

"I'm going to take her to the ER just in case," she said softly, hesitantly. There was the silent question of _'Are you coming with?' _hidden off in there, but he still didn't look at her. She bit her lip, bit back the hurt and slight rush of anger, and turned away from him, leaving the room.

Something held him back from her, something she was beginning to doubt that he'd ever let go. Just as she had difficulty letting Danny rest.

It just wasn't _fair._


	7. Chapter 7

Gibbs had most certainly noticed the hurt expression on Jen's face as she left earlier that day; the expression that had winded him for a second. It was in the moments that the fear of having done some irreversible damage to Leena dissipated that he realized something.

He _cared. _Far more than he should.

With that admission taken care of, Gibbs climbed the stairs to the Director's office, waiting in poorly concealed impatience as Morrow finished his meeting with some Senator that he cared nothing about. Gibbs didn't play politics; well, not _nicely._

He followed Morrow into the office again, waiting for permission to sit before he did so, and watched his boss quite calmly. He knew what he had to do – what was best for everyone involved in this situation.

"What can I do for you, Jethro?"

"Take me off Shepard's case."

Morrow blinked for a moment, leaning forward, giving him a confused look. "May I inquire as to the reason?"

"Bias," he said simply. "Emotional involvement. Insufficient progress."

"This was not meant to be a grab-and-go mission, Jethro. I knew that it would take time."

"I won't be the one to take that little girl's mother from her, Tom," he said firmly.

The Director lifted his chin slightly, reading into his statement perhaps a little too much. "So you think she's a mole, then."

Gibbs' jaw tightened on its own accord, gaze hardening. He thought of the Frenchmen in her study, of what little she'd shared about him. He remembered the briefest of conversation of Leena's father, and finally, of falling into bed with her. He swallowed involuntarily, one hand tightening around the arm of the chair he sat in. "I didn't say that," he said tightly.

"You implied it, Jethro," Morrow said slowly, watching him intently. "Why would you worry about leaving young Leena without a mother otherwise?" He paused, "What _aren't _you telling me?"

This wasn't something he wanted to approach. He wished Morrow would just take him the fuck off the case and let someone else take over. Perhaps then he wouldn't ever see her again, and everything would go smoothly. Nothing would be _his _fault.

"You know I was a Marine," he started, looking him square in the eyes. "Had a wife and a daughter. My wife, Shannon.. witnessed a murder. NCIS was protecting her and Kelly; until the drug lord put a bullet in the agent's head while he was driving them. They were both killed in the crash; while I was still in Kuwait." Gibbs was able to keep a straight face, keep calm, perhaps even appear as if he'd come to terms with it. Not.. _quite. _"I won't be the reason that Leena grows up without her father _and _mother. Give the case to someone else."

Morrow said nothing for a moment, running over a time-line in his head. Jethro had been Mike Frank's probie.. _Shit. _Now things were actually making sense to him. He cleared his throat and turned his eyes back to Gibbs. "Jethro, she trusts you. I can't put another agent in now."

"I nearly killed her daughter this morning, _Director," _he half-growled. "I'm not so sure she trusts _me _at all."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but snapped it shut, thinking better of it. Morrow put his glasses on and picked up a file, ignoring Gibbs for a while. When he began to sense the impatience from the man across from him, he looked up and stared at him very calmly. "I'm not taking you off the case, Jethro. See this through."

The only response he received was his office door slamming behind an irate Agent Gibbs.

"_Mommy," _Leena whined again, shaking her arm insistently. _"Please? _I won't never ask for nothin' 'gain!" Jenny snorted at the use of a double negative (something the child had no concept of), knowing that she had just turned her statement into a _positive. _Therefore, she _would _be asking for many, many things in the future.

She grunted her response and stood up, pulling the comfortable house-boots off her feet and walking drowsily to the front door. She opened it, sighing as she stared up into the rain, closing the door firmly behind her. The power was knocked out on the entire street, and with a monsoon raging outside, Jen highly doubted that she'd be getting much sleep tonight. Both she and Leena _hated _thunderstorms.

Jenny was soaked by the time she got to the car and retrieved the godforsaken stuffed animal that Leena just _had _to have, _right _this very minute. Her t-shirt and shorts stuck to her uncomfortably and she grumbled to herself as she moved back towards the house. Jen heard a car door open and close quickly and she tensed, glancing towards the sound, jaw set. The light from the car was muted by the tinted windows and the rain, but she recognized the make of the car almost immediately, and it gave away the identity of the man leaning against the vehicle quietly. She relaxed considerably and turned to stare at his dark outline, swallowing slightly. Jenny _wanted _to go to him, but his reactions from earlier in the day halted her; made her wary. Already soaked by the rain, she didn't see the problem with standing out here like this, staring at him.

As soon as he took a step forward, away from the car, she took that as an invitation. She walked quickly, barefoot, to meet him in the middle and wrap her arms around his neck, oddly comforted by him coming back to her. She kissed his wet skin, smiling up at him when she pulled back to look at his face. He looked into her pretty eyes, feeling guilty because of the way she seemed so happy to see him.

"I didn't think you'd come," she said quietly, nestling her head against his shoulder.

"Yeah," he grunted. "Me neither."

She swallowed and looked up, pressing her lips to his hesitantly, testing. He squeezed her waist and kissed her back briefly, skimming his hand along the outside of her thigh. "Let's go inside before you catch a cold, Jen."

Jenny nodded and took his hand in her free one, clutching the sopping wet stuffed animal to her chest as she led him back up to the house. Something was different in him, she could sense it, and it told her that she had to be careful. Tonight, if Leena would ever go to sleep, they would have to have a talk. A talk that both parties were dreading considerably.


	8. She knows the high stakes

_A/N: Umm, whoops? My muse failed me. However, we're experiencing some major flooding in good ole' Tennessee, and the couple days off before finals are helping, apparently. So.. I stayed up until after midnight finishing this up. I do apologize for the ridiculous wait. Also, if you feel I'm getting too OOC, would you please kick me? _

_Reviews are love. =)_

_

* * *

_Jennifer and Leena Isabelle Shepard slept in the exact same position. Both girls's left arm extended over their head, face hidden behind it, while the right rested comfortably over their stomach – legs half-tangled around each other. It was mildly intriguing in the quiet of the house, giving him something to think about besides the guilt he felt, and Shannon and Kelly. They plagued his mind lately, increased his already edgy demeanor. Jethro tilted his head to the side as Jenny stirred briefly, causing her shirt to ride up her stomach slightly, revealing pale skin that he knew felt as soft as it looked. He touched his fingertips to the fading scar below her naval – from her c-section. Her skin wasn't what was considered _perfect _here; there were a couple stretch-marks and, of course, the actual scar.. but he didn't want her to be perfect. Because _perfect _was a lie, and it was _vital _that she did not lie to him. No reservations, no secrets. He had to know tonight if she was lying to her country.. somehow. Somehow he had to figure it out.

Gibbs slipped his finger under the elastic of her cotton shorts, smiling a little when she grabbed his hand to stop him from exploring any further. Looking up at her burning green eyes, he attempted to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively, but found himself unable to be completely free-spirited at the present moment. He felt far too gloomy, the atmosphere too ominous for his liking. Jen sat up and held his hand between hers, studying his face briefly before shifting towards him, laying her head against his chest.

"Stop thinking so much," she murmured, eyes half-closed. It was unnerving to think that she read him so easily. She shifted back a little, studying his suddenly stiff expression and sighing as she leaned away completely. Jenny's face became unreadable just as quickly as his had become tense, the walls she was completely accustomed to dropping into place effortlessly, though with the tiniest hint of sorrow lurking in the back of her mind. This wasn't what she wanted with Jethro.

But both parties were beginning to resemble a cornered wild animal. It was only a matter of time, anyway.

Jen cleared her throat, her eyes locked on his impassively. "Ask me whatever it is before you implode," she stated softly, professionally.

Gibbs paused, mentally scanning his options. What did he _most _want to know? Leena's father. He wanted to know what had happened, why she was so sensitive on the subject. What was his _job _to ask about? Being a mole. _That _was the last thing he wanted to do, and yet, the only real option.

"Who was the man in your study a few weeks ago?" That seemed the safest route, the easiest way to slip into these waters.

Her eyes flickered to her daughter's sleeping form before she stood up, indicating with a minute jerk of her head that he should follow. As he slowed behind her, taking the proffered shot of tequila with a lifted eyebrow, he placed his hand on her hip, keeping close to her. He hadn't meant for her to draw away from him so, to sound so professional – as if he were interrogating a suspect. Perhaps that _was _the situation, but she meant far more to him than that, though he wasn't sure exactly what that said. Gibbs winced as she downed her shot and took his as well, apparently foreseeing things he hadn't planned.

"He's one of Benoit's.. _pawns, _let's call them," she said softly, hesitantly. "One of several he's sent through the years to collect."

"Benoit?" Gibbs questioned, his grip on her hip tightening imperceptibly.

Jen smiled bitterly, turning to face him. She stroked her thumb over his cheekbone, looking distant and distracted for a moment. He grunted and that snapped her back into reality, though it also served to pull her away from him again. "René Benoit, aka La Grenouille." She spoke louder as she moved away, as not to repeat herself. "The man who blackmails me over my fiancé's death, when he _himself _is responsible," she snapped at nothing in particular. She trailed her fingertips over the spines of her books on the shelves opposite him, pausing to look out the window.

Jethro looked at her, making a move to step forward, but thinking better of it as he took in her stiff posture. She did not want his comfort, his pity. He should have known. "Leena's father," he guessed, accurately. Jenny nodded.

"Daniel Harlington, U.S. Senator," she stated formally, mockingly. "The youngest in office at the time, though that, too, had its downside. He was handsome yet unseasoned, ignorant. Not nearly as clever as he believed." Jen fingered her necklace subconsciously, sitting down heavily in the armchair. It was as if she didn't remember he was in the room.

"I was so angry when he told me what he'd done. He.. took a bribe to look the other way when a shipment of ammunition shipped out. I'd only told him I was pregnant a few weeks back.. but he said we needed the money, for the baby, for our family. Danny told me he _did it for us. _Hundreds of people probably died because of he was paranoid about a stupid _pay-cut._

We fought about it for hours.. I finally told him that he had to give the money back, or I was leaving. He had to give the money back and tell the FBI or the CIA or whichever agency handled that stupid shit, or the baby and I would disappear. I.. never thought it out. Benoit would never let someone as replaceable as Danny stand in his way. I practically pulled the trigger myself," she finished quietly, her voice faltering as the first tears began to fall.. on their own accord, he presumed.

This was when it was acceptable to hold her.

He pulled her up, shushing her gently as he rested his chin on the top of her head, rubbing her back soothingly. He could feel warm tear stains on his shirt, felt her sucking in air, trying to compose herself again. She was not a woman who found it easy to show vulnerability to any one at any time, and it was obvious as to why. Jenny was heartbreaking with tears on her pretty face.

Gibbs shifted a little, lifting her chin to force her eyes to meet his. His thumb swiped the tears away before he kissed her, sliding his hand up into her hair: holding her in place, refusing to let her go. She didn't refuse his form of comfort.

"Why does he blackmail you?"

She sniffed again, resting her forehead against his comfortably, eyes closed. "Because he made it look as if Danny died in a plane crash. His people handled the body, as not to disgrace Leena and I. He says he knew my father, and I know he has a weakness for women," She paused, growling softly. "Chauvinistic bastard."

Shushing her again softly, he pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. As upset as she was, the simple gesture of affection made her smile. It reminded him that she was still just a woman under that hard-ass front. She still wanted to feel _loved, _and that was the first moment that he entertained the thought of saying _I love you _to one Jennifer Shepard.

"So what do you give him? Money?" She shook her head.

"It's.. opposite. I keep my mouth shut and he brings me a check every month, sometimes little things for Leena. I don't want to cash them.. but.. I couldn't make it without them. It's like he _knows that."_

"He probably does," Gibbs said, wrapping his arms around her protectively. He stared at the wall for a moment, debating forcing Jenny and Lenna to stay with him, just so she didn't _need _that slimy bastard's money any longer. However, he knew Jen was an independent woman, and there would be no _forcing _her to do anything; at least not on his part.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you today," he said abruptly, catching her off guard. She blinked and glanced up at him, rendered immobile by his strong arms around her torso.

"Why _did _you do that? Why do you act that way with Leena? You would smother her if I let you."

He paused, closing his eyes for a moment. Briefly, he thought of not telling her – of walking away before he had to reveal anything to her about himself, his past. But after everything she'd just shared with him.. it simply seemed _wrong. _

"She reminds me of my daughter," He placed a finger to her lips when she opened her mouth to speak. "My _late _daughter. Beautiful, identical to her mother – intelligent. I guess I'm trying to save someone I couldn't," he shrugged. She frowned, her eyebrows furrowing as she planted a kiss on his finger. He smirked at her attempt at comfort.

"I lost my family a long time ago, Jenny. My wife witnessed something she shouldn't have, told the feds about it. She and my daughter were under NCIS protection; only, their detail was shot in the head as he was driving them home on afternoon. They were killed in the crash," he paused, his eyes falling on her pretty red lips. "I was in Kuwait."

Jenny swallowed and lifted her hand to his face, stroking his stubble gently. "Jethro.."

Gibbs shook his head. "I don't want your pity, Jenny. I want you to kiss me."

Nodding slowly, she pulled his face back to hers and kissed him slowly, her hands framing his face. The simple brush of her tongue along his was enough to make him groan, his hands sliding down to her thighs, lifting her off her feet abruptly. She gasped against his lips, eyes flicking open wide. Jethro squeezed gently, questioning with his eyes as he planted a chaste kiss to her lips. Jenny shook her head.

"Not tonight. But," she stopped him, touching his face as he made to set her down. "I believe Leena and I would welcome your company for the night. We don't like thunderstorms, and the weatherman said it would rain for _days _yet.." She grinned and he mirrored her, contented for the moment to simply stay with his girls. _His _girls.

He spooned into as he settled into her bed, brushing her hair from her ear and blowing into it gently. She laughed, shoving at his chest playfully. "Stop trying to deter me from my sleeping path," she murmured through a yawn. Gibbs grinned and squeezed her hip, listening to her breathing calmly. It took perhaps two minutes for it to even out, indicating a peacefully sleeping Jen. He was able to smile as he fell asleep half an hour later.


	9. Toughening up around my heart

_A/N: _Wow... I'm horrid at updating, hmn? To be honest, I'd forgotten about this completely. However, thanks to _KatelynGibbs _for reminding me. Also, thanks to anyone who bothers to read the update. I'll try to update more often - the second part to this chapter should be up later tonight or tomorrow. The chapters will likely just be shorter to keep this moving along.

* * *

Leena ventured into her mother's room, her lower lip stuck out in a pout. She climbed up onto the mattress and stared at Gibbs' sleeping face, extremely satisfied when his eyes blinked open slowly after a few moments.

"Gibbs," she pouted, plopping down to her knees dramatically. "What'd you do with Mommy?"

He paused as he propped himself up on his elbow, debating on the nature of her question. Because she was so young, he could only pray that she didn't mean what did he _do-_do with Jen – and assumed that since said woman was absent from the bed, Leena wanted to know where her mother was. Now that he thought about it, so did he. A frown came across his face as he sat up more, looking around the bedroom. Clothes were strewn about the floor that hadn't been there the night previous; his jaw tightened at the realization that she'd more than likely left the house. Without waking him.

He should've woken when the shower turned on. Or when she rummaged through the drawers for something to wear, through the closet. Such an _idiot. _

"She went out to run an errand, Little Red," he teased, prodding at her lightly until she giggled. Satisfied, he nodded to himself, sliding out of bed and slinging her over his shoulder, grabbing her ankles to keep from being kicked in the head. Gibbs dropped her gently into her chair, snorting softly. "You hungry? Want some waffles?"

Her big eyes widened as she nodded vigorously. "Peanut butter waffles, Gibbs? _Pleeeease?" _she whined, squirming in her seat like the child she was. He couldn't help but smile slightly, sighing dramatically before nodding.

"Even if you _did_ wake me up too early... I guess you can have some peanut butter waffles." _Though that sounds disgusting, _he added inwardly.

As he waited for said waffles to pop out of the toaster, he leaned against the counter, half-way listening to Leena sing off-key. His mind was on where Jen could have gone, he realized that he didn't know that much about her, other than her daughter, her dead fiancé, and her job. He knew nothing of her friends, her family..

What a fucking mess this was becoming.

He took the soy butter from the cabinet, remembering the previous indecent, and spread it over Leena's waffles. She probably didn't know the difference anyway, he thought, and kissed the top of her head as he moved off to Jen's study. Rummaging through her drawers, he came up with nothing – until he found the locked one. Easily picking it, he flipped through until he found her planner and address book. Satisfied that Leena was sufficiently occupied for the moment, he sat down heavily in her chair and began to study his lover, and those whom she associated with. His jaw tightened at her vagueness for today's plans; he shoved the things back into the drawer and slammed it shut. She would leave her daughter alone, with him? While she went out to do God knows what?

Gibbs did his best to keep Leena entertained, though – at times – he sensed he was failing. Out of practice; especially to be a baby-sitter for hours at a time. When five o'clock came around and he'd yet to hear from her, he called the one man he knew could get him the answers he needed, before he imploded.

"McGee," he growled. "Run this number; give me the last known location."


	10. Rain turned into tears upon your face

_A/N: _Look! Quick update! 8D I had to get it down.. before I forgot it. Sorry, I know I said shorter chapters, Marzia, dear... But I think you'll forgive me, one day. I don't know if you guys will like this update.. But..

Anyway. This is angsty, and it may he OOC, but this is also an AU story. This is not the same hard-ass Jenny as we know from the show, because she's never been a field agent. I tried to keep it realistic to the situation. Review, please? Pretty please? =]]]]

* * *

Jennifer Shepard stared herself in the eyes in the rear view mirror, slowing her breath, calming herself. This was something she had to do, not only for herself, but for Danny, and for Leena. Her little girl was too young to understand now and she wasn't particularly sure she'd end up telling her when she could, but this was for her future. It was for Gibbs, too – in a way; how could she love a man properly while she was still not at peace with another? To admit to herself that she'd fallen for him was too much at the moment; she need not add more turmoil to her already-chaotic mind. She blotted her lipstick before stepping out of the car, her eyes flickering up and down the street before she crossed it. Her high heels clicked steadily on the concrete as she walked, head down, collar of her jacket turned up. The still-distant thunder set her nerves even more on edge and canceled out anything she'd done in the car to relax. She pursed her lips as she glanced at the addresses on the buildings, stopping dead in her tracks as she found what she was looking for. After a few more minutes of standing outside, she walked up the steps and turned the knob of the front door, stepping inside warily.

Her heels clicked against the hardwood of the hallway as she moved toward the faint light from the last door on the left. Jenny paused in the doorway, staring a hole into the back of her host. His low laughter made her nauseous, made her eyes narrow and her stance straighter, more rigid. He turned around after he refilled his glass with cognac, tilted his chin upwards as his eyes flickered over her casually. Her jaw tightened uncomfortably.

"Please," he said, his accent heavy. "Make yourself at home, _Jenny."_

Slowly, almost reluctantly, she removed her trench coat, crossing her arms casually. She felt the cold steel pressing against the bare skin of her arm, sending a shiver up her spine. Jen stepped closer, shaking her head silently when he offered her a drink. Her shoulders were tense, eyes guarded. As if she expected some reprimand from La Grenouille.

"Why so rigid, _ma chérie?" _he questioned as he sat down, inviting her to do so as well, which she, again, refused. "Ahh.. Well, I assume this is a business matter, then." His intense eyes studied her still, calculating her every move, analyzing. She tilted her chin upwards, much like he had earlier. Looking down upon him.

"I came here to tell you that I don't want you or any of your... employees to visit me any more," she said softly, and yet still forcefully.

Benoit chuckled, the sound echoing in his large den. "Though I'm sure that took quite a bit of gall," he drawled. "I'm afraid that it's not that simple."

"Why not?" she snapped. "I don't want your money anymore, René! Why can you not leave Leena and I alone?"

"Consider yourself a loose end." he stated simply, his tone flat. She turned from him, lifting a hand to her mouth, trying not to notice the shake in it. Jen heard her heartbeat all too clearly inside her head; her mind whirled and tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes for the briefest moment.

Then she turned around and clicked the safety off the gun, raising it to his chest. Her hands still shook minutely, making him raise his brow and chuckle again.

"Surely you're not this _stupid, _Jenny." She felt bile rise in her throat and swallowed it down, along with her nerves. No one was here to aid him, she was sure of that, and he wasn't stupid enough to go for a gun while she was so nervous. Odds were in her favor at the moment.

Getting away with it? She wasn't so sure about.

"Put the gun down, Jenny." he said, patronizingly. "You won't shoot me."

When she didn't move – other than her shaking – or say anything for a long moment, he made to get up, which made her panic. Her finger tightened reflexively on the trigger and she staggered backwards from the force of it, unaccustomed to such things. Jen was shocked, her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape as she stared forward. Her entire body started to shake as she realized what she'd done.

She'd killed La Grenouille.

It was impossible to tell how long she stood there, paralyzed. Her eyes were locked on the blood, watching it spread all over the front of his shirt, until she heard it start to slowly – but steadily – drip onto the hardwood. Finally snapping out of it, she stared at the gun in her hands and whimpered aloud, backing out of the den and grabbing her trench coat as she ran down the hall and out the front door again.

Anywhere was better than there, where the metallic scent of blood lingered, foreboding, in the air.

* * *

The rain had completely soaked through her once-pristine dress, and though she was shivering, she didn't notice. She simply continued stared down at the gun in her hands disbelievingly. She.. had just.. killed someone? Maybe that was what she'd set out to do, but she'd hardly expected to follow through with it. Jen thought that maybe the gun would scare him into leaving her alone, in aiding her in getting what she wanted. She'd never accounted for her nerves getting the better of her. She'd never thought...

"Jen!" A car door slammed, quick footsteps pounded on the asphalt until they stopped before her. She glanced up slowly after a moment, the rain dripping down her face giving her an excuse for her ruined makeup. Perhaps he couldn't tell she'd been crying, because of the rain. Almost immediately, she felt the gun snatched from her hands and heard him click the magazine loose, stuffing it into his belt before he knelt before her.

Gibbs slid a hand up into her hair, his eyes flickering over her face worriedly as he brushed it back. Nerves still shot, she managed to whisper hoarsely: "Where's Leena?"

"Safe," he assured, but he could tell that that wasn't enough. "She's at McGee's apartment," he said softly, then clarified. "He's on my team, Jen. She's safe."

Nodding slowly, she limply wrapped her arms around his neck, relishing in his familiar presence. She sniffed after a moment and nuzzled further into him, fighting back another round of tears. "Take me home." Her voice broke, and she bit her lip hard to keep the tears at bay. "P... please."

Silently, he got to his feet and helped her to hers, before he swiped her up easily, not giving her a chance to protest. Frankly, she didn't trust her legs – especially not in heels – to carry her the twenty or so feet to the car. So she accepted his gesture, because he was stronger than she was. At least for the moment.


	11. Turning back ain't really an option

_A/N: _Sorry about the wait; I couldn't seem to find the time to be able to put it together this past week or so. It's hardly the best, and it's definitely not what I wanted it to be, but it'll do. Beware the fluff parts; you may gag. Also, the repetition is purposeful - see if you can spot it. =]

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Also, my error has been fixed, to those who spotted it. I thank you for finding that, again.

* * *

Silence, he determined, was far worse than any screaming match. It lingered in the air like a fog, choked you up as you open your mouth to speak, to break it. Try as he might, he couldn't come up with the perfect thing to say, the justifiable question to ask. He sat in the study while she curled up on her couch, flicking the safety of the gun off meticulously. Though he'd made no headway with his lover, he had determined that said gun had been fired – recently – and that there was no serial number on it. It was damn old, anyway: military issued, hell of a kickback. It'd been something that some of his superiors in the Marines had had; the ones that had already fulfilled their service requirements, and then some.

Glancing toward the living room, he sighed. He wanted to help her – he really did – but if she'd done something wrong, what could he do? Cover for her? Turn her in? His mind whirled with _moral _obligations and matters of the heart. Perhaps he was just jumping to conclusions, seeing as he had no idea as to _why _she'd been sitting on that bench, gun in hand, crying in the pouring rain.

It was time for him to stop being such a probie. He had to take care of this, get to the bottom of it; it was what he did for a goddamn _living._

He heard gunshots, heard her scream, and he was on his feet and in the living room within two seconds. Eyes wide and alert, he glanced at the television to find some stupid action movie on, which he quickly muted. Gibbs sat on the edge of the couch, coaxing her out of her ball of blankets and limbs, and brought her against his chest firmly. Shushing her softly – something he'd learned with Kelly – he ran his fingers through her thick, tangled hair, his eyes falling closed. "Talk to me, Jenny," he murmured after she reached up to grip his shoulders. He winced minutely as her nails dug in and then relaxed; he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I didn't mean to, Jethro... I swear, I didn't."

"Mean to what, Jen?" He tried to keep his voice calm, understanding even, because he knew that she could shut down otherwise. But he was so goddamn _frustrated; _frustrated with her lack of trust, with his inability to keep himself from..

He wasn't even going there at the moment.

She brought the blankets up around her shoulders, slumping back against the couch and lifting her feet into his lap. He sat sideways, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he stared at her. Jen lifted her head to look at him. "I... killed La Grenouille," she managed, biting her lip as she looked down. Instinctively, his arm tightened around her, bringing her closer into his chest. Protecting, shielding.

If there had been any doubt in his mind before on what he would do if the situation called for it, it was washed away at that moment. He would be kidding himself if he thought otherwise.

* * *

Gibbs stared at the body for a moment before he reached out and pressed his fingers against the wrist – a courtesy that he wasn't sure the man deserved. The undoubtedly previously olive-toned skin had paled and become cool to the touch, the eyes glassy and blood spatters dried upon his face. It was a haunting image, one that he was grateful Jen would never have to see again. He lowered René's eyelids, turning his attention to the room now.

Being a typically disliked and wealthy man, it wouldn't be improbable that someone would rob him; a robbery that had simply gone wrong.

Hands gloved upon arrival, Gibbs took to his task. He backtracked and started in the living room, tossing things around, knocking over a lamp and a few other things. He made his way around the house, and finally back to the man's study. He stared at the body for another few moments before he stood at approximately the same place Jen would've been, and let the gun – now wiped clean of fingerprints – fall to the floor, he bent down and clicked the safety off, lingering there for a moment.

He was an accomplice; he could certainly be arrested and lose his job for this.

He didn't care.

Gibbs straightened and made one last round through the house, before he backed out the door and left it slightly cracked, busting the side window with his elbow. As he turned and headed to his car, he dialed the familiar number.

"I think somebody just got robbed," he told the operator.

* * *

"What did you do?" she questioned as he slipped into bed behind her.

"Went out to get you some of that sissy-coffee you like so much," he murmured, kissing her shoulder as he placed the cup in her hands. She turned her head, smiling faintly. "Long line; guess it's the weather."

She reached over to place the cup on the nightstand, and before she'd turned back around, Leena had wedged her way between them, grinning triumphantly at her mother.

"Ah, and," he smirked. "To pick up the munchkin."

"McGee's nice, Mommy... You should meet him!" Leena nodded seriously.

Jen settled back onto the pillow, the smallest smile still playing at her lips as she listened to her daughter chatter on and on about what a great time she had. Briefly, she glanced up at Jethro, slipping her arm over her daughter in order to find his hand and entwine their fingers.

Frustrated at his chauvinism, frustrated at her inability to..

She wasn't even going there right now.


	12. Don't you wanna stay here

_A/N: _I've had half this written for almost a week... I just couldn't find the time to finish it up until this morning. Some people have requested longer chapters... Here's my attempt. I probably won't stick with it, but hey, I tried. Thankies to my beta... I arc you. =]]]] And the reviews/alerts so far? They make me smile, and should continue to happen. Enjoy. =3

* * *

Jennifer Shepard was typically an intelligent woman. She gathered foreign military and political information for a living, a job that was far more demanding than it often seemed. A slip up in her position could not only cost her her job – her livelihood – but also lives of her fellow countrymen. She knew this, understood it, _owned up _to it – but she'd come to hate her job. The intricacies weren't the problem; the complexity and the secrecy was nothing she was unaccustomed to. Jen did, however, feel limited. To her computer screen, her cell phone, her cubicle at Headquarters. She knew that what she was was all she was ever going to be: invisible. Bound. Responsible.

Perhaps that was the cause for her affinity to Jethro. He was her polar opposite, at least in those aforementioned aspects. He was impulsive, somewhat apathetic and a bit of a vigilante. He _appeared _about as sweet as bleu cheese. It was an ineffable attraction that gave her that much-needed opportunity to climb out of her proverbial box, and – ideally – into bed with him.

She groaned slightly as she fell beside him on her back, breasts rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to regain her breath. Almost immediately, she felt his lips trailing up her carotid artery, his teeth nibbling at her earlobe. Jen laughed softly, turning her head towards him, green eyes slowly returning to normal. She couldn't honestly remember the last time she'd had a day like this, when she'd felt this way. It went beyond the sex ( as fantastic as it was ); it was the affection not only in the foreplay, but in the aftermath of it all as well. She felt _good; _a complete contrast of the way she'd started the morning. Jenny was grateful that her lover didn't require a verbal response ninety-percent of the time. She wasn't certain she could have given it.

"Your team is probably at a loss without you," she murmured softly, allowing him to stretch out over her again. His body heat not only warmed her, but comforted her as well. She openly welcomed it.

"They'll survive," was his simplistic, ever-vague answer. His lips found hers again, coaxing another languid kiss from her as he pinned her hands on either side of her head firmly. Jethro registered that she was likely exhausted, considering their activities the past few hours and her lack of a good-night's rest. Jen planted a chaste kiss on his lips as she pulled away, eyes flickering open to look at him mildly. Her fingers entwined around his and he felt a pang of guilt, because one Jennifer Shepard trusted him entirely. His feelings for her were hardly false, but the events that had started it all were glaringly unforgivable. He knew he needed to tell her, and yet he couldn't bear it. The fact that it would hurt her irreparably was far too obvious, and the thought of ending all this was something he'd forced from his mind. Jethro knew he was in too deep, knew he needed to begin distancing himself from she and Leena.. And yet, here he was. Kissing her pale skin from her jaw, her neck, down her collarbone and the valley between her breasts, pausing at the low, hoarse alto of her voice. He glanced up and smirked arrogantly.

"I guess it's true, what they say." She looked up, raising an eyebrow critically, her eyes already beginning to betray her again. "Some women _do _like sex."

She laughed, pulling him up, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her forehead against his briefly. "Thank you, Jethro," she whispered after a long moment. "For everything."

He felt another wave of guilt begin to churn in his gut as he kissed her again, skimming a hand up her side and the other into her hair. A mole at NCIS. It could never be her.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Gibbs asked as he came through the door, keeping near to it. He and Jen had only arrived perhaps fifteen minutes earlier, choosing to come in at two and get at least _some _work done today. No sooner than they had parted in the elevator – however reluctantly – a curious DiNozzo had informed him that the Director had called for him hours ago. And without another word, Gibbs had obediently ascended the stairs.

"Close the door, Jethro." Morrow said coolly. He closed the file on his desk, watching as one of his best agents sat before him. "That was hours ago. Where were you?"

"Eh.." he rubbed the back of his neck semi-awkwardly, "Otherwise engaged, sir."

Raising an eyebrow, he sat back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap. "I see. With Ms. Shepard, I assume." Receiving no response, he continued. "I received a call from the Director of the CIA earlier today. It seems an arm's dealer of theirs, a _René Benoit,_ was found shot once in the chest in his study on Friday. It appears to be a failed robbery attempt."

Well aware that his boss was watching his every move, he managed to keep a calm, blank façade. Gibbs merely tilted his chin slightly upward. "Are they turning over the case to us?"

"No. Actually, they've lifted some prints," he paused briefly. "The prints are Jennifer's, Gibbs."

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. In his haste, the thought of wiping the house for prints had completely slipped his mind. He rubbed the scruff of his chin, keeping eye-contact with Morrow. "She was with me Friday after work, sir," he lied, not batting an eye. "There was a thunderstorm warning; she would never leave the house."

"Oh? I'm assuming there was no one else there to confirm this."

"No, sir," Gibbs said firmly.

"And has she ever mentioned this... Benoit? Maybe his codename, La Grenouille?" Morrow asked, raising an eyebrow nearly to where his hairline should be.

Gibbs crossed his leg, his hand resting on his ankle. "Once or twice."

"In what context?"

"Sir?"

"Fondly, or in another way?"

"Director," Gibbs began firmly, starting to stand. "I've spent nearly eight months with Jenny. Of the many things that she is, a murderer is not one of them."

"Jenny?" There was a pause. "How engrossed in this woman are you, Jethro?"

He turned and walked toward the door, his hand on the knob. "I haven't lost sight of my assignment," his voice a near growl. "With all due respect, sir, that's all you need to know." With that, he walked out, closing the door firmly behind him.

Director Morrow saw it just as plainly as he did. If his team knew, he was certain they would see it too. Hell, even little Leena was beginning to notice. The only person who seemed oblivious was the woman in question, but with everything that was on her plate, she could hardly be blamed. Swallowing softly, he shut the elevator down and braced the heel of his hand against the steel doors. He knocked it roughly against it, cursing under his breath. No, he wasn't going to leave. Not right now. She needed him. This morning he'd woken up to find her bent over the bathroom sink, shoulders shaking as she cried again. Everything he'd told Morrow was not a lie: Jenny was not, nor could she ever be, a murderer. She was a woman with a good heart who felt an inconceivable amount of guilt and remorse for what she'd done. He believed her with everything he had when she'd sobbed and told him that she hadn't meant to do it, that it was an accident. It was for that reason that he risked his name, his job, jail time for her.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs loved one Jennifer Shepard.

And as much as it broke his heart to admit it, he couldn't hide from that fact any longer.

* * *

That night, long after he and his team had exhausted themselves over their current case, he ordered them home. Gibbs, however, stayed for a while longer, staring blankly ahead, his hand covering his mouth. The day had been above average before he'd paid a visit to Morrow, and now his mood was melancholy at best. Glancing up, he stared the Director in the face for the second time that day.

"Go home, Jethro," he tried, adjusting the collar of his trench coat.

For the longest moment, he simply stared at his boss. Home? What was home to him anymore? He spent minimal time at his house, kept a duffle bag under Jen's bed. _Where was home?_

"I need to finish this up," was all he said, looking back down at the forgotten case report on his desk. Morrow sighed at his stubbornness, but left him be, walking toward the elevator. He should have taken him off the case when he'd requested it. He should've known Gibbs would never do something like that without good cause. However, it was too late now, and whatever mess the man was in... he was big enough to get himself out of it.

Some time later, Gibbs leaned against his car door, eyes on the house. He wanted to go in, to see Leena and Jen, to feel that sense of family – no matter how damaged – that he'd missed so much. He saw the light switch off in Leena's room, and a few moments later, the front door opened. He could almost hear her thinking, debating whether or not it was smart to come over, or simply just stay where she was. Gibbs knew her by now. Her body, her tell, her mind ( most of the time ). She was as unique as she was predictable at times, so he wasn't all that surprised when she crossed the street to him like she had in the rain once before.

"Were you planning on lurking out here all night, Jethro? Even for you, that's a new level of-" She stopped talking when she caught the look in his eyes; her eyebrows furled and her teasing smile turned to a frown. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"You," was his vague answer.

"You," he repeated after a moment, as if to solidify it to himself.

Jen splayed her hand over his chest, looking at it silently for a while. "That doesn't sound promising, Jethro."

"Could go either way, really." He paused, watching her intently. "Thought about buying you some flowers."

She smiled slightly, almost as if it were forced. "Then where are they?"

"Didn't wanna stop." He rested his chin on top of her head, closing his eyes as he took a breath. He rested his hands on her small waist lightly, shifting to kiss behind her ear lightly. "I think.. I'm in love with you?" His voice turned his statement into a question upon it's own accord, and he cursed inwardly. He kept still, his body tensing involuntarily.

She paused, lifting her head and raising an eyebrow at him. "Considering the morning we had," she drawled. "I'm assuming you're not thinking with this..." She tapped his forehead lightly. "But this." As her hand skimmed down, he caught her wrist and growled slightly in warning. She smirked.

"The day you love me, Leroy," she said, her alto-voice curiously quiet. "That'll be the day."

"The day for what?" He was curiously relieved at the way she'd taken it. It wasn't a rejection; it was a low self-esteem reaction, something he was accustomed to.

"Just the day." she tilted her head, smiling slightly at him as she took his hand, tugging him forward. "C'mon, I made dinner."

Realizing how hungry he was, he gave in, following her lead obediently. He decided to make her see he meant it later on.

He was just too tired to fight it tonight.


	13. When a goodbye kiss feels like this

_A/N: _Short and to the point. Angst. Probably one-two chapters left in this; I'm not going to turn this into a day-by-day life story of the two. Thanks to those who reviewed/continue to read! :3

* * *

He held her thigh loosely to his hip, kissing her slowly – a movie kiss. Her breath hitched softly as he pushed her into the counter again, her small fingers tightening on his neck fractionally. She rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes. Something had been wrong for a long time – even before he'd told her he loved her – and it was getting continuously worse. Gibbs was as good as he'd ever been with Leena; the two adored each other, and Jenny was grateful that he got along with her so well. However, the air between them was charged, and not sexually. It felt as if she were walking on egg shells, or perhaps cracked glass. He was holding something back from her, when he'd seen her fall completely to pieces; it frustrated her. Jen slid her hand down to his chest and pricked him lightly with her nails through his t-shirt.

"Tell me what you're thinking," she murmured softly, locking her eyes with his. He made to kiss her neck and she pressed harder against his chest, until he took a step back. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

He looked at her for a moment before running a hand through his hair, stepping back to the kitchen table and wrapping his fingers around the now-cold mug. Gibbs didn't answer her, simply staring into the murky liquid.

"I know your mind wasn't on sex." Her tone was blunt as she crossed her arms over her chest. "If it had been, I would probably be on my second orgasm by now."

"Maybe I wanted to go slow."

"Slow would be a half-hour of foreplay. You've been kissing me since we put Leena to bed."

Gibbs turned to her, eyes drifting over her briefly. It was true; he'd been unable to keep his mouth off hers. Perhaps he'd been thinking that if he kissed her long enough, it would erase the entire mission from existence. Hardly.

"Lied to you, Jen." He mumbled, slipping his hands into his pockets. Her eyebrows furrowed, her nails biting into her arm slightly. "Been lying since I met you."

He heard her breath audibly hitch, her eyes turning guarded. Somehow she already knew that it wouldn't be something minor. "About?"

"Morrow thought you were a traitor." Her eyes flashed fire as she met his; her spine straightened. "Told me to figure it out."

"You slept with me to see if I was a _traitor?_ That hardly seems productive." Her tone was ice.

"Sex is a viable interrogation technique," he muttered automatically. "You trust me. You tell me things you wouldn't tell anyone else, Jen," he countered.

"_Trusted." _She corrected, her heart thudding in her chest. She turned her back to him, rigid.

"I didn't know, Jen. About Leena. About Danny... Benoit. I didn't know that I'd fall for y-"

"You don't get to say that anymore." She swallowed. "Get out, Jethro."

"Jen-"

"_No!" _She slammed her fist down against the counter, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Get _out."_

He stood there, still, watching her shoulders slump as her head dropped.

"It might not be the same, if Leena didn't love you so much." She pressed her fingers into the counter top, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. "She's _four, _Jethro. How could you-"

"I love her too!" He interrupted. "Like I love you; I didn't lie about-"

"How am I supposed to believe that?" She turned her body toward him again, her expression betraying everything she kept out of her voice. "When you lied from the beginning, how am I supposed to take anything you say for the truth anymore?"

Gibbs stiffened, his jaw tightening slightly. His eyes hardened. "You're right," he growled. "How could you _ever _trust the man who kept you out of a murder trial."

He slammed the front door as he left.


	14. I lost it

_A/N: _Now, we draw TOH to a close. I hope I wrapped it up acceptably. I think I'm sticking to drabbles/one-shots from now on. M: I GOT IT UP BEFORE WEDNESDAY. ( _Ha, that's what she said. I love being immature. _)

* * *

_You're not supposed to fall in love with them; _how had he expected it to end, anyhow? Jen was a prideful woman, one that hardly appreciated discovering she'd had the wool pulled over her eyes. Her reaction was natural. As a day passed – two, three, a week, more – his hopes that she might call began to fade. His previously neglected boat became the focus of his attention again. He avoided his bedroom, because though she hadn't been over much, Gibbs felt that he could still smell her shampoo on his pillows and sheets. But when he ran out of things to do with the boat without making a run to the hardware store ( which was certainly closed at two in the morning ), he ventured upstairs to change and get some sleep.

Her scent didn't linger in the air, on the linens: there were none of her clothes scattered on the floor, no physical evidence she or Leena had even existed. Had they?

He splashed water on his face after he changed, rubbing his scruff after he dried his face. Glancing at himself in the mirror, something shiny, delicate, caught his eye. On the corner of his mirror hung Jen's necklace – the one Danny had given her.

"_Do you believe in angels, Jethro?"_

"_No."_

The first night they'd made love hit him full force. His jaw tightened as he remembered her smile, the softness of her skin, the noises she'd made.

"_It would be easy for me to fall for you, Jethro."_

But never had she once said that she loved him. He had told her, and she'd brushed it off. Bitterness coursed through him as he gripped the necklace tightly in his left hand. For the briefest moment, he was tempted to drop it in the trash.

Then he remembered how much it meant to her, how much _Danny _had meant to her. Maybe it wasn't her fault she couldn't say it back. His mind whirled and he closed his eyes, lessening his grip on the delicate gold chain. He slipped it back over the edge of the mirror and flicked the light switch off, crawling into bed.

Gibbs missed her. He missed her warmth, her laugh, her kiss – every imaginable cliché one could think of. He missed Leena, and the fiery ignorance that encompassed her.

He didn't sleep that night either.

* * *

Life moved on without Jethro, just as it had without Danny. She was beginning to remember how to repress the past and simply focus on the present. Leena made it that much easier in the beginning – half an hour after Gibbs had slammed her front door, her little girl had crawled into bed with her, upset over a nightmare. She lessened the hurt as much as she brought it to the surface. A four-year-old didn't understand, didn't know how she pained her mother when she bombarded her with questions about when he would be back.

"_Gibbs isn't coming back, Leena."_

The look in the child's eyes was far more hurt than she could have expected. Leena had never dealt with loss before, as she had. She didn't know _how _to push things like that to the back of her mind. She really had loved the man.

She sat at the kitchen, book open and glasses on – but not reading. Her hair was falling out of the haphazard bun she'd slopped it into. Her coffee was cold.

Jen reached up for her necklace, and touched bare skin. She straightened stiffly, feeling again, a little more desperately. It was gone. A slight fit of panic rushed through her, and she half-ran upstairs to search her room. She paused as she closed her jewelry box, biting her lip softly.

"Dammit, Jethro," she mumbled, leaning back against her dresser. She scanned her room. Before the search it had been a mess – now it was worse. Dirty laundry littered the floor, the empty side of her unmade bed. One had to navigate carefully to keep from stepping on a toy.

Jennifer Shepard wasn't going to work today.

She spent the morning cleaning her bedroom and bathroom, and picking up the death-trap of a staircase. She found Gibbs' duffel bag stowed under her bed and winced, setting it atop her bare mattress. She stared at it for a moment, fingering his old NIS t-shirt for a moment. She threw the clothes in the washer when she got her sheets out, and then curled up in the center of her bed.

"This is your fault, Daniel," she grumbled. "If you weren't such an idiot, we'd have six kids and a Golden Retriever puppy." Jen pulled a pillow to her chest, biting her lip hard to keep from crying again. "That's how it was supposed to be."

She didn't know if she was upset about Danny or Jethro. She didn't know if she felt worse for Leena or for herself. But she was permitting herself one pity party, because at least she'd gotten _something _useful done today.

Jethro would get his laundry back later that night, and she'd get her necklace. Then the two of them would be done, and she'd never, ever go on another date again.

Men had disappointed her enough in her life.

* * *

After a third unanswered knock, Jen was about to turn and go back to her car. Gibbs obviously didn't want to see her. But the necklace... She twisted the doorknob, blinking when it turned. She stepped inside and glanced around the house, dimly illuminated by the muted television. There was a faint light coming from under the basement door. She should've known.

Down those stairs was almost as much of a death-trap in heels as her own staircase had been that morning. Jen felt him staring at her, through her, even. She set the bag on the stool before she glanced up at him.

"It's dangerous, you know. To leave your door unlocked like that."

He shrugged a shoulder, setting the sander down and leaning against one of the unfinished ribs of the boat. His eyes never left her face, and her palms began to sweat slightly. That gaze was unnerving as it was sexy – she'd never seen eyes like those in her entire life. She tapped her fingers against his bag and he stepped forward, unzipping it. He glanced at the neatly folded clothes for a moment; even through the sawdust and bourbon, the smell that he associated with Jenny and her home touched his nostrils. He glanced up at her again. "I was comin' to see you tomorrow," he mumbled. He nodded to her necklace, hanging safely on a peg where his hammer was usually kept. "Thought you might be missin' that."

"Thank you," she murmured softly, fastening it around her neck securely. It settled between her breasts comfortably, and she couldn't help but notice that his eyes were glued to it. She cleared her throat softly. "Jethro."

He glanced up at her quickly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Jen didn't want to leave. She wanted to apologize to him, make him hold her like he had before.

Gibbs turned back to his boat, nailing with renewed vigor. She winced and covered her mouth with her hand, biting her lip again. "Jethro," she called once, twice, louder the third time.

He finally looked up at her; her nails dug into her palm slightly. "You told Morrow I was with you. That night I-"

"Yeah," he cut her off, not wanting to hear her say it. "I did."

"Thank you." He barely heard it, but he knew it was sincere. He nodded his head once, turning around again.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, louder than she'd meant to, because she was afraid he wouldn't be able to hear her when he started hammering, and she wouldn't have the guts to say it again. "For yelling at you.. and.."

"And?" he questioned after a long silence. His spine was stiff again.

"And.. Leena misses you." She swallowed hard. "You mean a lot to her."

Gibbs grunted, noncommittal. What was he supposed to say? He felt her step closer, felt that warmth that he'd missed. Her hand touched his shoulder gently, the other took the hammer from him and laid it on top of the finished portion of the boat.

"I miss you," she whispered quietly; her grip on his shoulder tightened and she bit her lip hard.

It was her way of asking him back. Their damn pride would be the death of them. He turned, leaning against the boat again. She stepped between his legs, splaying her hand against his chest for a moment. Jen bunched the material into her fist. "Remember what you said, in the street?" she questioned softly. Her green eyes met his and he nodded once. She studied his face for a moment, reaching up to run her hand over his cheek and scruff softly.

"Me too."

He debated for a moment; whether it was smart to get into this again. He leaned down, giving her time to see it coming. She met his eyes as his lips touched hers, coaxing her into one of those languid kisses that lasted forever. Jen tightened her grip on his shirt, shifting more into him, eyes fluttering closed. Gibbs slipped his hands into her back pockets and pressed her more into him.

She gasped slightly as she pulled back, biting her lip again. She looked guilty. "Leena.. I can't leave her any longer than I already have. She might be asleep, but.."

"Can I come with you?"

Jen brightened at that, stepping back and grabbing his bag from the stool. "I don't know what you would wear," she drawled sarcastically. He raised an eyebrow mildly.

"Nothing," he grunted bluntly. She snickered to herself, crooking her finger at him.

"Let's go. We'll talk later."

He didn't feel quite like he was fighting with ghosts any more. Jen and Leena weren't Shannon and Kelly. He felt that, with her 'me too' admission, he wasn't battling so heavily with Danny. Like she'd made some sort of peace in the past weeks they'd been apart.

It wouldn't be easy – he never expected it to be. But he _was _excited to see one little bouncy redhead. One that looked so much like her mother, that was allergic to peanut butter, and loved to interrupt intimate moments between he and said mother.

The two redheads had his heart – and that was fine with him.

* * *

_El fin. :3_


End file.
